The leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, said it was "fantastic" that gay and lesbian couples can now marry. The change in the law legalising marriage for same-sex couples came into effect in England and Wales at midnight.

Newcastle City Council has become one of the first in the country to block access to the websites of payday loans companies via its own computer system. The council is also planning to try to stop the lenders advertising on some billboards in the city.

However, not everyone is against the loans companies - a survey by uSwitch found half of people who had taken out a payday loan found it a positive experience.